26th ASEAN Summit adopts three declarations

They include the ‘Kuala Lumpur Declaration on a People-Oriented,
People-Centred ASEAN”, the “Langkawi Declaration on the Global Movement
of Moderates”, and the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on institutionalising
the resilience of ASEAN and its peoples to disasters and climate change.

In his speech at the plenary session, Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said the formation of the ASEAN Community later
this year is a historic milestone in the regional integration process
and a result of continuous cooperation among its member states over the
past five decades, laying a solid foundation for regional development.

Vietnam has strived and achieved positive progresses
in realising the Agenda for building the ASEAN Community while
fine-tuning regulations at home to deliver on ASEAN commitments, he
said.

Underscoring the need to develop the
post-2015 ASEAN Community Vision, the PM also mentioned several
strategic orientations to the vision and called for initiatives to boost
solidarity and central role of the ASEAN in maintaining peace, security
and development in the region, as well as its leading role in the
evolving regional architecture and in the settlement of regional issues.

The PM stated that ASEAN needs to boost external
relations by promoting dialogues and collaboration in effectively coping
with economic and security challenges, including non-traditional
security.

Concerned about current activities on the
East Sea, he stressed the significance of abiding by self-restraint
principle, not complicating the situation and settling disputes by
peaceful means in line with international law, including the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration
on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards the early
formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Themed “Our People, Our Vision, Our Community”, the summit attracted
leaders from 10 member states who hailed the completion of 93 percent of
required tasks to shape the ASEAN Community later this year.

They also called for accelerated efforts to work on the Master Plan on
ASEAN Connectivity and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration and
Narrowing the Development Gap.

On the post-2015
ASEAN Community Vision, leaders requested more specific goals and
development orientations for the next decade.

The
high-level task force was asked to devise the draft vision to submit to
the 27th ASEAN Summit slated for this November for approval.

Participants also urged units concerned to act on recommendations by
the high-level task force on improving the capacity of the ASEAN
Secretariat and organs. They also agreed with Laos’ proposal to hold the
28th and 29th ASEAN Summit in late 2016 before making a final decision
on the number of the ASEAN summits held annually.

They shared the view that ASEAN should continue deepening ties with
partners while reinforcing internal solidarity and improving the
efficiency of existing frameworks and mechanisms in which it plays a
leading role, contributing to regional peace, security, stability and
development as well as effectively coping with traditional and
non-traditional security challenges.

In his opening
remark, Malaysia Prime Minister Nazib Razak said respect to
international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS must be a basis of
regulations on interfering in the East Sea activities.

As Chair of the ASEAN, Malaysia hopes that the region will make strides in achieving the COC soon, he said.-VNA